by Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY Sports

by Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY Sports

Rory McIlroy said golf analyst Brandel Chamblee was "completely wrong" and should be dealt with "in the right way" for writing a column that insinuated that world No. 1 Tiger Woods cheated and at best was "a little cavalier with the rules" this season.

Speaking at a promotional event Tuesday in the run-up to the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, McIlroy told reporters that Chamblee made a mistake giving Woods an "F" as a season-ending grade in a column he wrote for Golf.com as an SI Golf+ contributor. In the piece that appeared Oct. 15 Chamblee wrote about an incident in the fourth grade when his teacher crossed out "100" and gave him an "F" for cheating on a math test.

"Yeah, I think Brandel was completely wrong. I don't think he has the authority to say anything like that about Tiger Woods," the two-time major champion and former No. 1 McIlroy said, according to Agence France-Presse. "People wouldn't know who Brandel Chamblee was if it wasn't for Tiger Woods, so I am completely against what he said and I think he should be dealt with in the right way."

Woods said Monday before losing an exhibition match to McIlroy in China that it was time to move forward but put the ball in Golf Channel's court.

"I don't know what the Golf Channel is going to do or not," Woods said. "But then that's up to them. The whole issue has been very disappointing as he didn't really apologize and he sort of reignited the whole situation.

"So the ball really is in the court of the Golf Channel and what they are prepared to do."

Golf Channel has not commented on the matter but points out that Chamblee wrote the column for another publication. Eamon Lynch, editor of Golf.com, maintained his support for Chamblee and told USA TODAY Sports that "we hired Brandel because he is one of the most incisive and engaging analysts in golf. We continue to value his insights and contributions."

In a statement to ESPN.com two weeks ago, Mark Steinberg, Woods' agent, said legal action could be taken against Chamblee.

"I'm all done talking about it, and it's now in the hands of the Golf Channel," Steinberg told the Associated Press on Monday. "That's Tiger's view and that's mine, and all we want to do is move forward. And whether the Golf Channel moves forward as well, then we'll have to wait and see."

Woods was involved in four rules incidents this season. He was given a two-stroke penalty in Abu Dhabi for taking relief from an embedded ball in a sandy area, although playing partner Martin Kaymer said he could take relief. In the Masters, he was docked two strokes for taking an improper drop in the second round, a violation called in by a viewer. Woods was allowed to continue play despite signing an incorrect scorecard.

At The Players in the final round, his drop on the 14th hole after he hit into a water hazard was brought into question, though playing partner Casey Wittenberg, who was asked by Woods where to drop the ball, said it was a proper drop. And at the BMW Championship, Woods was hit with a two-stroke penalty for moving his ball slightly in the woods behind the first hole in the second round. Woods said the ball just oscillated and stuck with that version even after watching video of the incident.

Chamblee's column incited people across many fronts in the golf world. Chamblee, who said he was not asked to apologize by anyone, took to Twitter to apologize to Woods "for this incited discourse."

"What brought me here was the realization that my comments inflamed an audience on two sides of an issue," Chamblee wrote on Twitter. "Golf is a gentleman's game, and I'm not proud of this debate."